Our last "True Media Story"...at least, for awhile | I've Been On this Site for a Long, Long Time, That's Why

Fear not, troops. It's just that until we get the "FN Magazine" group off the ground, none of us will be able to contribute anything to it. Once we do, however, my little "TMS" segment moves there.

So, I hope this tidbit I write this week holds you over until then. It's not the one I wanted to do, though. But, this one (I hope) is better.

How does one draw a straight line from an Italian inventor, to a huge conglomerate?? Allow me to connect the dots...and dashes...

We're all familar with the story of Marconi, and his "wireless telegraph". Anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of electronics or broadcasting knows that story. What you don't know, I'll fill in the blanks. For example:

While it's true that Marconi set up a company in England to handle this new (by 19th century standards) form of communication, somebody figured out the real money was to be made in America. Thus, the American Marconi Wireless Company was founded in New York sometime after the turn of the century.

Its claim to fame--or infamy, as it was--turned out to be being the sole link to the outside world as to the Titanic disaster. It was an American Marconi operator who, if one was to believe him, "never left his post" in order to alert the world.

You might have read about him. Some guy named Sarnoff...David Sarnoff. The same David Sarnoff who launched a company in 1919--the Radio Corporation of America (RCA)--that absorbed American Marconi.

OK, from Marconi to Sarnoff to RCA. So far, so good...now, try to follow along. It gets harder.

RCA was the parent of the NBC Red and Blue radio networks. (The Blue network became ABC, but that's another story for another time.) They're also the people responsible for developing color TV. But, come 1986, RCA was bought by General Electric. Problem was, the FCC barred GE from owning broadcast radio outlets...so, GE split RCA and NBC into separate entities. Then, GE sold the remnants of the NBC radio network to Westwood One (which is now part of the CBS empire).

Ah, but wait. There's more...

A few years ago, GE bought MCA Universal. They then placed NBC and the other entities of MCA...the USA Network, Sci-Fi, Bravo, Trio, and others...into an catch-all, end-all subsidiary of GE called NBC Universal. Confusing, isn't it?? Marconi, to Sarnoff, to RCA, to NBC, to GE...to NBC Universal. (And a partridge, in a pear tree. Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Boggles my mind, too.)

Anyway, if you thought all that was confusing...I got a doozy of a two-parter waiting in the wings. (And you'll notice: very little italicizing or bold print in this piece. I know Steelercooz was having fun with me, but he did hit a nerve. I do tend to go overboard on some things, and that's one of them. This meet with your approval, Cooz?? LMAO)

So enjoy this piece for awhile. This piece goes "on hiatus" until the launching of FN Magazine...so until that time, this has been a "True Media Story". I'm the Sports Nut, and we'll see you soon.